Marriage Fights Sexual Immorality
Lessons From 1 Corinthians • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
Theme: Lessons From 1 Corinthians
Hope: To learn from about God’s law through this doctrinally heavy letter written in question and answer form.
Two weeks ago we examine the “Blood-Bought Body.”
We discussed how one keeps themselves “sexually pure” which is by being reminded they belong to the “Blood-Bought Body” of Christ.
That we are not our own but belong to Christ.
These brethren had it in their mind that “all things were lawful for them and the body is meant for sexual relations” so why restrict what the body was meant for.
As Paul points out, our bodes do not belong to us but to God and as such it is not to be corrupted.
Today, we find Paul turning his attention to the other extreme the church was wondering.
As is often the case with scripture, many find themselves jumping completely over the horse instead of on the horse.
In our text, 1 Corinthians 7:1-7, Paul is countering the idea that “all sexuality is evil and therefore sinful.”
Thankfully, we are given the actual statement of confusion some in the church were wondering in the later part of verse 1, “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”
Obviously, some were of the mindset that it was sinful to have a sexual relationship with a woman.
The ESV and many other translations have “quotations” around the last statement that are not in the actual text to indicate that Paul is speaking here, but there is nothing to suggest that.
In fact, it seems much more likely that Paul is simply remarking about “a matter which they wrote about.”
Paul answers this by demonstrating, “marriage is not sinful but from God.”
1 Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband.
4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this.
7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
Because marriage is not sinful but from God, Paul proves…
Marriage Is The Solution
Marriage Is The Solution
To Stopping Sexual Immorality.
To Stopping Sexual Immorality.
Sexual immorality has been a plague on God’s children almost since the beginning.
We see sexual immorality in polygamy early on as Lamech, Noah’s father, was the first polygamist.
19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
We see sexual immorality used to stop the Israelites in their tracks by Balaam.
Balaam was an wicked prophet but not a false prophet.
He blessed Israel three times even though king Balak desired Isreal to be cursed.
Even through Balaam reminded the king he could not speak beyond the word of the Lord.
However, Balaam found a “work around” and told the king to entice Israel with sexual immorality and they would end up “cursing themselves.”
14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, so that they might eat food sacrificed to idols and practice sexual immorality.
The reason there is so much sexual immorality today is because marriage is no longer held in honor.
4 Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.
Boys and girls are not being raised to honor the marriage bed from their parents.
Too many parents are simply not raising future husbands and wives.
Getting back to our lesson, Paul points out how “sexual intimacy is the solution” to sexual immorality.
1 Corinthians 7:2 (ESV)
2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman should have her own husband.
Satan is using our strong sexual desires as a weapon against humanity.
The phrase “should have” is a idiom for sexual intimacy, which the updated NIV does well at pointing out.
2 But since sexual immorality is occurring, each man should have sexual relations with his own wife, and each woman with her own husband.
This is the way to sexual purity and how we cope with the strong sexual desires God created us with.
Summary
Summary
Marriage is the God ordained and thus only biblical and accepted way for man and woman to have a sexual intimacy.
God has a very high view of marriage when it is according to his word and therefore it is the only path by which we can biblically give into the sexual desires God has created us with.
With that in mind, however, marriage is only the solution to stopping sexual immorality if…
Marriage Is Biblically Followed
Marriage Is Biblically Followed
When Each Person Gives.
When Each Person Gives.
In a biblical sexual and intimate relationship between a husband and wife we find there is “giving always.”
1 Corinthians 7:3–4 (ESV)
3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.
As husbands and wives we have a responsibility placed on us by God to do everything in our power to keep our spouse from having wondering eyes by not withholding intimacy.
To give 100 percent of our body over to the sexual needs of our spouse to fight against sexual temptation.
Sexual intimacy, in a biblical marriage, is never to be perceived as evil or sinful, but as that which stops our spouse from evil sexual thoughts which often lead to evil sexual actions.
Paul goes even further there in verse four by pointing out that neither has authority over their body but rather it belongs to their spouse.
Every man and woman needs to understand this before they get married that when they become married 100 percent of their body belongs to their spouse, it is no longer theirs.
However, and I can’t stress this enough, Paul never says that a husband “takes from his wife” or that a wife “takes from her husband.”
There is no taking in marriage, there is no demanding in marriage, there is no demeaning in marriage because there is not supposed to by “any selfishness” in our marriage, as selfishness in a marriage will eventually destroy a marriage.
Therefore, when it comes to intimacy in marriage, to guard against sexual immorality each person must not deprive the other…
Except For A Limited & Agreed Upon Time.
Except For A Limited & Agreed Upon Time.
The danger of sexual immorality creeping in, even on a married couple is so strong that Paul makes clear that abstaining from sexual intimacy is to be limited to a short time and it must be agreed upon by both the husband and wife.
1 Corinthians 7:5 (ESV)
5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
The Greek word for “deprive” here is the same one found in 1 Corinthians 6:7-8.
1 Corinthians 6:7–8 (ESV)
7 To have lawsuits at all with one another is already a defeat for you. Why not rather suffer wrong? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 But you yourselves wrong and defraud—even your own brothers!
When we withhold sexual intimacy from our spouse we are cheating them, defrauding them, we are robbing them of what God has demanding in the marriage.
In fact, Paul could only think of “one reason” one should ever withhold sexual intimacy from their spouse and that is “perhaps” by agreement.
Even then Paul makes it sound rare and unlikely this is something that will happen due to the temptation it presents.
So, what again is required for this rare situation to occur?
Both husband and wife must agree to it.
It is only for a limited time.
It is for a spiritual need, not punishment.
It must result in both the husband and wife coming back together in intimacy again.
If each of these are not met then withholding is defrauding or stealing from your spouse and will be answerable on the day of judgment.
Summary
Summary
Sexual immorality can be controlled by the majority of those that cannot control it normally through marriage.
This why we should never tell young men and women “hold out” until college or something the like is done before getting married.
That is sinful advice and certainly therefore not biblical advice.
A biblically married couple has a far grater chance of getting through anything in this life together than apart.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Paul ends this admonition by admitting he wishes everyone had his gift from God but that each of us have different gifts.
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.
What is Paul’s gift, was it that he was single and not married?
Certainly not, he just spent all this time pointing out we should all get married.
No, Paul wished everyone was “free from the need for sexual fulfillment like him.”
This would indeed be a gift from God not to be tempted in sexual sin.
Some have this gift, most do not and hence the reason they are to marry.
Marriage is given by God and is not some sort of lesser spirituality.
Marriage is not bad, evil, or sinful but is good and right when according to God’s word as it will help us get to heaven by squashing our lusts through a proper desire for our spouse.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.